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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24600517">Lost in Familiar and Foreign Seas</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/THEBULLSHITZONE/pseuds/THEBULLSHITZONE'>THEBULLSHITZONE</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Merlin (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Action/Adventure, Angst with a Happy Ending, Between Seasons/Series, Calypso is literally a character in this so keep that in mind, Inspired by Percy Jackson, M/M, Merlin's Magic Revealed (Merlin), Not Beta Read, References to Ancient Greek Religion &amp; Lore, S4 and S5, We Die Like Men, elements of real life history</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-06-08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-07-10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 07:48:16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>4,774</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24600517</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/THEBULLSHITZONE/pseuds/THEBULLSHITZONE</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Camelot, being the good allies they are, help out the neighboring kingdom of Nemeth after a sea monster repeatedly attacks their shores. This creates a fucked up series of circumstances where Merlin gets lost at sea and ends up on Ogygia with the nymph Calypso! Meanwhile Arthur loses his mind because he cannot handle the idea of Merlin being dead. Shenanigans ensue</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Merlin/Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), may or may not be more later</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>40</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This fic sprung from the idea, "What if I wrote that part of the Battle of the Labyrinth where Percy is trapped on Ogygia with Calypso but instead of Percy it's Merlin?" And so this fic was born, but I added a lot of other things like sea monsters, drama, a magic reveal and Constantinople because damn it I want Merlin to go to Constantinople. There is no upload schedule; sometimes the next chapter will come the day after, sometimes a week, maybe even a month. It's my summer vacation passion project basically. Honestly I'll be shocked if anyone sticks around for more than this first chapter given the oddly specific premise, but if you do I am forever thankful.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The whole affair began like any other misadventure Merlin managed to get himself into. With Leon knocking on the door of Arthur’s chambers and telling him he was needed in the council room.</p><p>Leon began this routine one oppressively hot afternoon. Addled by heat, Arthur was doing not much more than read his speech drafts over and over, while Merlin found employment on the floor polishing Arthur’s breastplate. He was so focused on it, that when Arthur threw down his papers in frustration, Merlin nearly jumped out of his skin. Arthur guffawed at Merlin’s nerves. </p><p>“Really Merlin. What startles you never ceases to amaze me.”</p><p>A thousand witty retorts popped into Merlin’s mind then, but he chose to express them with an eye roll as he stood up.</p><p>“What is making you so bored that you’ve resorted to abusing my patience?” Merlin said as he picked up the discarded speech. “Oh I can see why. Grain taxes have never been entertaining.”</p><p>“Abusing your patience is never a last resort for me Merlin, it’s a beloved hobby.” Arthur smirked and snatched the paper back. “However, you’re right. I can’t bear to read this over anymore.” He dropped the paper and leaned back in his leather chair. “However, there’s little to pass the time with in this heat. Too hot to train or hunt, nothing interesting to read, and fortunately everything in the kingdom is peaceful.”</p><p>“Only you would be disappointed Camelot isn’t in peril. Well you, Morgana and her many followers.”</p><p>“Don’t jest Merlin,” Arthur said, swatting at Merlin, “You know what I mean. I’m glad everyone is happy and well, but saving the kingdom does tend to cure boredom.”</p><p>Merlin really did try his best not to scoff at this remark. However, he still failed. Arthur’s eyes widened in response.</p><p>“Merlin, I know you’re scared of everything, but you don’t have to be rude about it.” </p><p>“Oh if I could tell you what saving Camelot means for me you’d understand.” Merlin thought, but left it unsaid, like most things between him and Arthur. Instead he replied, “You’d be surprised at what frightens me and what doesn’t.”</p><p>“Oh really? Care to tell me?”</p><p>“Sire?” Merlin and Arthur looked up, breaking them from their thoughts of each other. Leon stood in the doorway of Arthur’s chambers. </p><p>“Yes Sir Leon?” Arthur asked, suddenly very interested in his speech once more.</p><p>“You’re needed in the Throne Room. A messenger just arrived from Nemeth, and he’s waiting to bear the news till you come and hear him.”</p><p>“Of course Sir Leon. I’m on my way.” </p><p>Leon nodded, first to Arthur then Merlin, and awkwardly shuffled out of the room.</p><p>Now it was Merlin’s turn to smirk at Arthur. “And there’s the entertainment for you sire.”</p><p>“There’s no need to be smug Merlin!” Arthur cried, picking up a rolled up parchment to swat at his servant, but said servant was already out the door. </p><p>🐲🐲🐲</p><p>Merlin did not find the Throne Room very pleasing. He often thought it too austere, too much like Uther. It was Uther’s favored room of conducting his kingly business; the business of genocide. Merlin didn’t think he was alone in feeling this way however, for he noticed Arthur only used it when an event or meeting where there were to be more attendees than the Banquet Hall or the Council Chambers could fit. </p><p>But council meetings had more attendants than any other could hold, so there they were. Merlin had made his way to his usual spot in the corner as the last of the knights and eldery advisors made their way to their seats at the Round Table. Gaius was one of these stragglers, and gave a friendly smile and nod to Merlin before taking his seat next to Geoffrey of Monmouth and Leon. Merlin then shifted his focus to the young man bearing Nemeth’s colors standing in the opposite corner. </p><p>He can’t be much older than six and ten years. Merlin thought. He looks so scared. I wonder what news he has to bear. </p><p>“Is this everyone?” Merlin broke his gaze from the young messenger and looked to Leon. </p><p>“I believe so Sir Leon.” Arthur replied. “I’ve been made aware that there is a messenger from Nemeth on behalf of King Rodor.”</p><p>“Y-y-yes.” The young messenger stepped forward in front of the Round Table and unfurled a scroll. “To Arthur Pendragon of Camelot. As your ally, we try not to ask  too much of your kingdom, but Nemeth is truly in peril. On our southern coast we  have been facing a threat like no other. A sea beast has been taking and eating those shore dwellers. Few have survived to tell us of this beast, but what is known is that the creature is massive, tall as our finest fortresses and a quarter mile long! We suspect it may be a Sea Dragon.”</p><p>At this, the Council became abuzz with whispers. The astonishment at the mention of living dragons was too much for them. Merlin clearly heard Gwaine say, “Impossible! There haven’t been dragons in Albion for decades!”<br/>
The word dragon rang in Merlin’s ears. He looked back over at Gaius who was staring directly at him. Gaius didn’t have to say anything for Merlin to know they would be talking after this meeting. </p><p>I hope Gaius knows what a Sea Dragon is. Why did Kilgharrah never mention them? Maybe they don’t stray near Albion often.”</p><p>Arthur waived his hand at the entire Council. “Let’s let the man finish reading the letter. We’ll discuss the implications when he’s done.”</p><p>The messenger nodded in thanks and continued to read. “A few scales washed up on our beaches lending credence to our theory. I know Camelot has no navy at her command, but Arthur’s heroic slaying of the last dragon is good evidence he may be the only one able to stand a chance against this beast. We have received a letter saying we will receive a few men from our ally in the southern sea, but it will not be enough. Camelot’s aid would be invaluable and save hundreds of lives. Your humble servant, King Rodor.” </p><p>Everyone in the room was stunned with silence. Everyone just stared incredulously at the messenger, who quivered with fear at all the attention. Arthur was the first to snap out of his shock. </p><p>“Thank you messenger, would you give me the letter? I believe I need to read it again for myself.</p><p>“Of c-c-course your majesty,” the Messenger stuttered and walked over to Arthur, handing him the scroll with a bow.</p><p>“Thank you, what’s your name?”</p><p>“Owain.”</p><p>“Thank you Owain.” Arthur said with a smile. “Is there some serving woman who could find Owain a room to stay for the night?”</p><p>“My woman Bronwen can.” Gwen, who sat on Arthur’s left replied.<br/>
Bronwen, who had been near Merlin, curtsied to the King and Queen and led Owain out of the room.</p><p>Now Arthur had everyone’s attention. He rested his chin on his fist, deep in thought. Nobody knew what to say for a good 30 seconds. Eventually Leon broke the silence.</p><p>“Sire, what do you propose we do?”</p><p>Arthur took a breath and then replied, “Send a messenger now to Nemeth and let Rodor know we are on our way. Me and a few men will go first to see the severity of the situation. If the situation warrants it, I will send for reinforcements. We’ll ride at first light.”</p><p>“Yes sire. I’ll see to a messenger being sent.” Leon said with a bow, then left his seat at the table. Arthur turned to Merlin.</p><p>“Merlin, see to it that my things are packed for the journey.” Merlin gave a curt nod and turned to leave the room. </p><p>“Sire, may I be excused for a few minutes?” Gaius asked, “On a journey like this, there are some medicinal items I believe you should have, so may I ensure Merlin knows what to bring?”</p><p>“Yes Gaius. But do not tarry. Your advice is invaluable.”</p><p>“Of course my lord.” Gaius said as he stood and bowed.</p><p>🐲🐲🐲</p><p>Once Merlin and Gaius had reached their chambers, Merlin quickly shut the door and turned to Gaius.</p><p>“What the hell is a Sea Dragon? Kilgharrah said he and Aithusa were the last dragons!”</p><p>“Not so loud Merlin!” Gaius whispered, “Dragon is not the best name for them. They are kin to dragons, but very different in many respects. They’re bigger than most dragons but do not have consciousnesses. They are animals, and can’t be reasoned with. All they want to do is eat.”</p><p>“Can a Dragon Lord control them?”</p><p>“I do not know. Sea Dragons had not been seen in over 100 years. There’s not much surviving information about them. I only know as much as I do because your father did his best to find them, but was never successful. They were never his top priority. Camelot has no access to the seas besides the Port of Gedref. As far as I know, he never got to study them thoroughly.” </p><p>“Oh…” Merlin deflated at this information. “What should I do? What should I do if I can’t control them?”</p><p>Gaius gave him a warm smile. “Merlin, you always have found solutions to the problems life has thrown at you. While you don’t always show it, you have a good head on your shoulders. You can solve this. Here.” Gaius shuffled over to one of the chamber’s many bookshelves and selected a small leatherbound volume.</p><p>“This is a codex of sea creatures. It may be helpful.” He said, handing his ward the book. </p><p>“Thank you Gaius.” Merlin smiled and hugged the older man.</p><p>Gaius hugged back but then pulled away. “Let’s hurry to where we need to be. Arthur needs as much sensible advice as he can get.”</p><p>Merlin chuckled at this and the two men went their separate ways.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I am ashamed with how long this took me to write,,,, a combination of lack of motivation and time is the culprit. I'm not really happy with how this turned out, but at the certain point I just wanted to be done so I could get to the fun parts. I promise next time it will be a lot more interesting. Thank you all for being patient with me!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>When Arthur said they would ride at dawn, he had really meant it. Merlin felt like he had just closed his eyes to sleep when Gaius was shaking him awake. Merlin had stayed up late into the night reading through the Codex Gaius had given him, looking for anything about Sea Dragons. Besides one mention of them in a long boring paragraph about Mermaids, (As it turned out, Mermaids were not beautiful maidens with fish tails, but more like giant, noncognitive fish vaguely human shaped,) there was nothing Merlin could find. He had succumbed to sleep halfway through the book, resolving to read the rest before he arrived in Nemeth.</p><p>Merlin was up before anyone else that morning, feeding the horses and arranging Arthur’s things as the sun rose, bathing the citadel in golden light. He let himself enjoy the simple pleasure of enjoying a sunrise uninterrupted, a rare treat for any common person. </p><p>“Merlin?” </p><p>Said man looked up at the steps to see Arthur sauntering down the steps to where Merlin stood with the horses. Merlin took notice of the annoyance on the other man’s face.</p><p>“Good morning,” Merlin said, as he pretended to be busy with Elyan’s saddle.</p><p>“I need you to help me with my armor. You can’t frolic out here with the horses and expect me to put on my armor by myself.” Arthur grumbled.</p><p>Merlin looked over at Arthur and noticed he was turned away from him.</p><p>“If he was just upset about that, he’d be looking at me. Something’s wrong.” Merlin thought.</p><p>“What’s the matter Arthur?”</p><p>“I’m fine.” </p><p>Merlin rolled his eyes at this. “You’re not fine. You know you are a terrible liar, right?”</p><p>Arthur snorted at this but said nothing. Merlin took this as an opportunity to continue.</p><p>“It’s about the Sea Dragon, isn’t it? It’s okay to be afraid. We don’t fully know what we are going up against, but don’t we do that all the time? But we always manage to pull through. Who won last time you fought a dragon?”</p><p>“Me.”</p><p>“Yes; Arthur you always find a way, and nothing will be different this time. And I’ll be there at your side.”</p><p>“Protecting you.” He thought, “I’m scared too. I don’t know what this thing is, and if I even have the power to stop it,  but I’ll protect you no matter what.” </p><p>Arthur chuckled and walked closer to Merlin. “I don’t get it, how can you sometimes be such an idiot, but then be so wise?”</p><p>Merlin shrugged and grinned. “I suppose it’s part of my charm.”</p><p>“What charm? I didn’t realize that was a word you could understand.” </p><p>Merlin rolled his eyes, but still smiled good naturedly. For a second, Arthur smiled back at his servant, then suddenly started examining their surroundings very suspiciously. </p><p>“Arthur, what are you doing?”</p><p>He responded to this by leaping towards Merlin and hugging him. It was not the best hug Merlin had ever received due to Arthur squeezing Merlin as hard as possible, which pinned Merlin’s arms to his sides. But he didn’t mind the King's roughness and leaned into him.</p><p>“Sire?”</p><p>Arthur sprung away from his servant at the sound of Leon’s voice and drew himself up. Leon, ever beleaguered, was unfazed by Arthur and Merlin’s shenanigans. </p><p>“Sire I am ready to go, Sirs Elyan, Gwaine and Percival are on their way outside now.”</p><p>“Erm, thank you Sir Leon,” Arthur replied, “I was just scolding Merlin for forgetting to help me with my armor. He’s going to help me with that now.” He said, grabbing Merlin by the arm.</p><p>Leon raised his eyebrows at Merlin who just shrugged. Once Merlin and Arthur were inside the castle, Leon let out a long sigh and whispered, “I cannot wait for the day I retire.”</p><p>🐲🐲🐲</p><p>It took 4 and a half days of riding for Arthur, Merlin and the Knights to reach Nemeth’s capital. Merlin spent those first two days in relative peace as they travelled through the southeast portion of Camelot. He found his time spent mostly in Gwaine’s company, since he was the merriest out of the knights. They rode behind the rest of the Knights, swapped jokes and Gwaine told bawdy stories of past adventures with both sexes. Arthur however was a different case. He had assigned himself to silence and sullenness, speaking only when necessary. Merlin tried on multiple occasions to speak of something light with him, but was met with dead end conversations. He tried to pay it no mind.<br/>Once Arthur and the rest were asleep, Merlin poured over the Codex in search of answers about Sea Dragons, but had found nothing. By the sun rose on the third day of their journey, he had read every word of the Codex and found nothing useful. He had stuffed away the book back into his satchel angrily as the Knights began to rise that morning, cursing the lack of records on the mysterious beasts.</p><p>The next two days were not nearly as kind to the men as the first two had been. They rode through the Hills of Cotswolds and Chiltern and the proceeding flat lands in the pouring rain, which ruined the scenic nature of the place. No one had anything to say, not even Gwaine. The men all resigned themselves to a stony silence as the rain pelted down on them.Merlin didn’t even bother to pull out the Codex for there was no firelight to read by. The torrential rain had insured that. </p><p>The fourth day of travel had begun much the same as the previous, rainy and drab. The party dragged itself through the hills, silently begging for the rain to stop. Unlike the previous day, the men’s pleas were answered. The rains finally slowed to a drizzle, then relented to the sunshine. Around midday, the group stopped to eat. No one was excited to put their stuff on the ground, much less sit, so Merlin had his satchel awkwardly slung around him as he collected fire wood. So awkwardly in fact, that one misstep had Merlin and his things tumbling into a large patch of berries.</p><p>“Ughhhh,” Merlin groaned, head flopping into his hand. </p><p>“MERLIN? Are you alright?” The man in question glanced up to see Elyan and Gwaine looking down at him.</p><p>“Yeah I'm fine.”</p><p>“Are your things alright?” Elyan asked with a small chuckle. Merlin looked over to the bushes beside him to see his things flung out over the bushes.</p><p>“Oh no!” </p><p>“Don’t worry Merlin, we’ll help.” Gwaine said, holding out a hand for Merlin to take. He took it and let Gwaine pull him up while Elyan started to pick up strewn about clothes.</p><p>“Oh no,” Elyan murmured. </p><p>“What’s wrong?” Gwaine asked. </p><p>Elyan held up the Codex. “Your book. It got berries all over it.”<br/>“No!” Merlin clambered over to Elyan and grabbed the Codex. “My book! Damn it! I really needed this, it’s one of a kind!” Merlin put his head in his hands, “Gaius will kill me.”</p><p>“Oh, do not fret Merlin. I’ve heard Nemeth has some of the greatest libraries in Albion! Perhaps they will have the same book.”</p><p>“Maybe.” Merlin said, opening the Codex to find berries squished between the pages. </p><p>“Ugh.” He squinted at the text, silently praying the text was still legible. With some inspection, Merlin noticed that the berries had stained a particularly thick page of the Codex. He rested a single finger on the page and it suddenly started to dissolve. </p><p>“No no no!” Merlin put his face in his hands.</p><p>Gwaine and Elyan were too busy trying to help pick up Merlin’s belongings, and didn't respond this time. Merlin helplessly watched as the page dissolved into a sludge of ink and liquid paper. Disgusted, Merlin flipped the book upside down and let the sludge spill out. With another shake of the book, a folded piece of paper fell out onto the ground. Merlin picked up the fallen piece and examined it. The paper was closed by a blue wax seal. A few little scraps of paper were still stuck to the seal. </p><p>“Where did this come from?” Merlin thought. “Perhaps it was hidden between the pages. I think I’ve heard of books that have hidden papers that can only be found when something happens to the paper.” </p><p>He looked to the berry bush and examined the leaves. </p><p>“Chimsonna berries. Gaius always wears gloves when using these. They must be able to melt most papers.” </p><p>“MEN?!?” </p><p>Merlin, Gwaine and Elyan looked up to see Arthur calling out to them.</p><p>“It may rain again soon and we still have 2 hours of riding till we reach the palace of Nemeth. We should hurry.”</p><p>“Yes sire.” Elyan said as he walked over to Merlin and handed him his freshly packed satchel.</p><p>“Thank you!” Merlin slung the satchel over his shoulder.</p><p>“I guess the paper will have to wait.” </p><p>🐲🐲🐲</p><p>Nemeth’s capital city was very beautiful, in a very different way then Camelot. Camelot’s architecture was all very new compared to other kingdoms; all neatly cut stone and stained glass windows. Merlin loved the architecture of Camelot, but found Nemeth’s more appealing. Nemeth’s style was much older, one that preferred domes, large breezeways and mosaics detailed with gold. It was more reminiscent of Albion’s older days; days when the old religion reigned supreme. The city walls were still adorned with images of the ancient gods of travel. Upon passing these carvings, Merlin couldn’t help but stare and imagine the days where magic and the old religion were still legal. Magic was legal in Nemeth, but not within the city walls. Rodor had dealt with some magically fuel assassination attempts, so had banned it in the capital. But the surrounding rural lands were free to use magic how they chose. </p><p>Merlin found himself wildly jealous of all these things, and silently wished Camelot was more like Nemeth. His interest in all things remained piqued as he and the Knights entered the palace grounds. </p><p>They were greeted by a winding path lined with flowers and fruit trees. Above their heads, taller trees lent a canopy of shade, shielding the men from the sun.</p><p>“Isn’t this nice Merlin? I wish we had a garden like this in Camelot.” Gwaine said, reaching over to ruffle Merlin’s hair. </p><p>“I do,” Merlin replied with a smile, “It’d be a lot easier to hide from chores.”</p><p>Gwaine chuckled at this, “You never cease to make me laugh Merlin.” He reached up and plucked a small red crabapple from a low hanging branch. “For Camelot’s best servant.” </p><p>“Why thank you Sir Gwaine,” Merlin accepted the fruit and gave Gwaine a playful wink. “You are the most charming knight in all of Albion.” </p><p>Arthur, who had been riding right behind the two of them, suddenly burst through right between their two horses. The action was so abrupt, it caused Merlin to drop his apple.</p><p>“Arthur!” Merlin exclaimed. “What was that for?!?”</p><p>“The King needs to be in front of his Knights and servants when meeting with other kings.” And with that, Arthur pushed ahead of the 2 men. </p><p>“What is his problem?” Gwaine exclaimed.</p><p>Merlin rolled his eyes. “He just gets like this. Sometimes I suspect he wrote into the law that it’s illegal for me to have fun.”</p><p>Gwaine chuckled at this. “I think the same law was written for me too” </p><p>Merlin smiled as the group turned another corner of the winding garden path to spill out into a stone courtyard, bordered by the blue columbs of the palace’s domes. On the steps of the central building, surrounded by Knights in green cloaks, stood King Rodor and Princess Mithian. Upon seeing Arthur, the green knights bowed their heads and Rodor smiled. </p><p>“King Arthur! Your haste in coming to our aid is unparalleled.”</p><p>“King Rodor, Princess Mithian, I am pleased I could help.” Arthur said with a pleasant smile.</p><p>Merlin looked over at Mithian, who’s smile looked a little forced.</p><p>“This must be a little strange for her, she and Arthur did not part on the best of terms.” Merlin thought.</p><p>“Sire, we have the council chambers already prepared for you, as this matter cannot wait any longer. If you and your knights are hungry, our kitchens have prepared food they can eat as we have the council.”</p><p>“Thank you Rodor, me and my men are hungry and appreciate your generosity.” Arthur replied with a kind but formal smile. </p><p>The Knights cheered at the prospect of food as they dismounted their horses, but Merlin could not focus on what they were saying. All he could think about was the paper, sitting heavy like a stone in both his pocket and mind.</p><p>It continued to all he could think about as everyone was served food and sat down at the council chambers. He was forced to stand behind Arthur and was told by the other servants they would eat after the Council meeting.<br/>But that didn’t stop Gwaine from slipping him an apple and a slice of bread. It was only when the nobles finished eating, (and Gwaine gave up on trying to be generous,) did Merlin finally have the chance to slide into a corner, pull out the piece of paper, and broke the wax seal. </p><p>The first thing he noticed was the large illustration of a blue serpent with a face <br/>not too dissimilar to that of a lion. Instead of a mane of fur, the beast sported one of blue and green feathers. But the fanciful illustration isn’t what shocked Merlin. What made his breath catch in his throat was the label above it. </p><p>“Sea Dragons”</p><p>He kept reading,</p><p>Sea Dragons, or known historically as Dracos Mares are old creatures native to the seas beyond the Western Isle. They are creatures with connections to ancient Earth Magic. No one has lived to truly tell how these connections manifest, for Sea Dragons are beasts with no conscience. All they yearn for is food, especially humans. Legends tell that Sea Dragons would swallow entire boats just to eat the few humans aboard.<br/>Very few have lived to tell the tale of Sea Dragons, but these survivors, (who many question the authenticity of,) recommend that fire, whether of natural or magical origin, is the most effective tool against the creatures. In the only verified case of humans killing Sea Dragons, Captain Marcus Agrippa of the 5th Navy used a combination of flaming catapults and magic from druids native to Albion. Agrippa’s victories are further dictated in Blind Volgrad’s historie of Albion.</p><p>Merlin reread the page a couple of times, trying to soak in all the information he could before noticing a note in a much cruder hand. So crude, he had to squint to see what it said. </p><p>Beware Cirto</p><p>Those two words made Merlin freeze up. The word Cirto was not familiar to him, but he was fairly confident that it was reasonable to be alarmed when one reads the word beware followed by a mysterious word on a page about mysterious beasts. <br/>Unfortunately, Merlin realized he didn’t have the time to ponder this note for very long, as the preparations for fighting the beast in question were happening around him. But how to tell the Council? This wasn’t Camelot, where he could merely get Arthur’s attention and would be allowed to speak. Nemeth had no such precedent. He gazed at the paper fixedly.</p><p>“It may be best to just give him the paper.” Merlin thought.</p><p>But to him, the words magic and Cirto stuck out like sore thumbs. </p><p>“Unfortunately, Arthur won’t take this seriously if magic is a recommended solution. And Cirto could have a magical backstory. It’s best if he doesn’t know of it.” Merlin thought. “I’ll have to omit those references for this to work.” <br/>With a couple of whispered incantations and a subtle golden flash in his eyes, Merlin had eliminated all of the references to magic and Cirto. </p><p>When one of Nemeth’s knights started droning on about the exact contents of a merchant ship lost along the coast, (presumably to the Sea Dragon,) Merlin took it as an opportunity to come out of the corner and tap on Arthur’s shoulder. Arthur swatted Merlin’s hand away. </p><p>“Not now Merlin,” he whispered.</p><p>“It’s really important, just read it. Trust me, it’s going to help Nemeth.”</p><p>Arthur sighed and snatched the paper from Merlin. “I trust that this is important Merlin, but you better go back to where you were, I am not sure Nemeth will be as tolerant of your foolishness as I am.”</p><p>“Thank you,” Merlin whispered almost inaudibly, moving back to where he was just as Rodor looked over at Arthur.</p><p>To Merlin, it felt like forever and a day before there was enough of lull in conversation for Arthur to finally pick up the paper and read it. He gazed confusedly then incredulously before interrupting the knight talking with a loud but polite, “Excuse me?”</p><p>Everyone turned to look at the king. </p><p>Arthur cleared his throat and continued. “I have just discovered some information that will be invaluable to defeating the best. It says here on this page from an old volume that using fire, and weapons endowed with it are the most effective methods of dealing with a Sea Dragon.” He set down the paper. “I would personally recommend using a flaming catapult and flaming arrows. My father saw much success with their use in the summer wars of his youth.”</p><p>Once Arthur had finished speaking, the Council erupted into muttering. Rodor stood up at this, and held up a hand to silence . He looked at Arthur determidley. </p><p>“King Arthur, I trust you and believe what you say makes sense, but before I let you and me send our men into peril, I want to make sure what you’re saying is true. When did you learn this information?”</p><p>Arthur took a deep breath and looked directly in Rodor’s eyes.</p><p>“A source who most likely would want to stay anonymous, but one I trust with my life.”</p><p>Merlin’s heart leapt at this and he could feel his face burn. He looked at the floor, hoping no one noticed him. He knew that Arthur trusted him, but it was different for him to say it out loud to strangers. Merlin found the feeling of being appreciated, (though anonymously,) quite pleasant.</p><p>“Very well, I trust your judgement Arthur. But we must discuss how to go about this.” Rodor said, sitting down.</p><p>“Of course.”</p><p>And so the meeting went on, with Merlin continuing to stand in the corner. As much as he would have liked it, he could not solely think of Arthur and other pleasant things. Only one thing could occupy his mind. </p><p>Cirto</p>
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